The A616 Stocksbridge bypass in South Yorkshire is to remain closed to allow a thorough investigation of the drainage to take place.

The carriageway has been closed in both directions since 9.30am to allow contractors to safely access a drainage culvert which runs under the road.

Over the last 24 hours dams have been built upstream to help collect water to reduce the amount heading into the culvert.

Overnight and throughout this morning there has been ongoing work to drain all the water from the culvert and relevant pipes. This will allow further CCTV investigations into the cause of the blockage to be identified and resolved.

Highways England’s service delivery manager for Yorkshire and the Humber, Mark Ramsden, said:

“Unfortunately due to the amount of rainfall and water coming off the saturated verges it has caused us some delay in investigating and resolving this flooding issue.

“Safety is always at the heart of everything we do and that is why we have decided to keep the A616 closed until we have been able to identify the problem that is causing the flooding.

“We would like to thank drivers for their patience so far with this and would advise them to leave extra time for their journeys.”

Clearly signed diversions will be in place via the M1. Local diversions are also in place.